Q Acoustics Q-BT3 wireless speakers take aim at soundbars

Q Acoustics has announced the Q-BT3 Bluetooth wireless speakers, a pair of powered speakers that sport analogue and digital inputs, aptX Bluetooth streaming and are due on sale later this month for £399.

The Q-BT3 speakers aim to deliver top-notch sound from a variety of sources via wired and wireless connections, and aim to take a bite out of the burgeoning soundbar market, with Q Acoustics claiming the speakers "comfortably outperform typical soundbars".

REVIEW: Q Acoustics Q-BT3

Streaming music from a smartphone, tablet or Bluetooth-enabled computer seems like the most obvious use of the speakers, with the addition of support for the superior aptX codec hopefully delivering better sound from aptX Bluetooth devices such as the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4.

Thanks to a 3.5mm input and a stereo phono input you can also connect any other source with an audio output, such as a TV, set-top box, Blu-ray player or games console.

An integrated DAC and an optical digital input means you can also take a digital signal from compatible sources. There's a subwoofer output, too.

Q Acoustics is eager to stress the Q-BT3 speakers are hi-fi speakers not "a jazzed up iPod dock or modified table radio in disguise". The system has one powered speaker and one passive 'slave', with standard speaker cable joining them together.

The speakers use a 25mm silk dome tweeter and 10cm paper mid/bass driver, while the amp delivers 2 x 50 watts of power. The Q-BT3 speakers are nice and compact, measuring 24 x 14.8 x 22.6cm (HWD).

Available in black, red and white, the Q Acoustics Q-BT3 wireless Bluetooth speakers are due on sale in late August 2013, priced £399 per pair.

MORE: Best soundbars

by Joe Cox

Follow whathifi.com on Twitter

Join us on Facebook

Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).

Latest in Wireless Speakers
HomePod OS
An Apple HomePod with a screen might arrive this year after all
JBL Flip 7 in white finish held in hand against backdrop of orange JBL beanie bags
JBL Flip 7 vs Flip 6: what's the difference between these two Bluetooth speakers?
JBL Charge 6 speaker held in hand
JBL Charge 6 vs Charge 5: what's new?
HomePod OS
The rumoured Apple HomePod with display is reportedly put on ice while Siri gets its act together
Bowers & Wilkins Zepellin
Bowers & Wilkins and McLaren are making new audio hardware with an F1 twist
JBL Charge 6 in red with carry strap
JBL upgrades two of our favourite Bluetooth speakers with bigger sound, longer battery life and more durable designs
Latest in News
Sony WF-C710N earbuds lined up in different finishes
They’re official! Sony finally takes the wraps off its WF-C710N budget wireless earbuds
A flower on a TV screen with a gem in the middle.
TCL's new Mini LED TV range comes with huge brightness gains, reduced blooming and souped-up sound
Sony WH-1000XM4 on a table with a plant
Some of our favourite-ever five-star wireless headphones have plummeted to nearly half price – £172 off!
RCA Roku TV 24-inch (RK24HF1) small TV
My favourite kitchen TV has dropped to under £100 for Amazon Spring Deal Days
Sony XR-48A90K
Amazon has slashed the price of this five-star Sony OLED, but we have found an even better deal
Fiio FX17 in-ear headphones
Fiio's flagship in-ear headphones are packed full of drivers to put your music in pole position